Jazz and Jeans to benefit construction mentoring

The Colorado Construction Institute’s annual "Jazz & Jeans" Silent Auction and Dinner benefits their programs that give disadvantaged youth hands on training in residential construction trades, along with life skills training. Co-founder of CCI David Hicks joined "First Take with Lando and Chavis" to describe the pressing need for workers, and for the work.

Founded in 2012, more than 50 students have completed the 14-week pre-apprenticeship training. Besides exposure to the building trades, "from the ground up," facility with basic fractions is central to the instruction. "We put a lot of emphasis on the math skills from the very beginning," Hicks told co-hosts Steve Chavis and Mike Wulfsohn. "There are subtleties to measuring, and if you really don't understand the art and the craft and the skill of measuring accurately, you really don't have any place to go from there." The "Jazz & Jeans" event is Saturday, May 31st at 6:00 p.m. at the Park Hill Golf Club, 4141 East 35th Avenue in Denver. Classy live jazz provided by The Chris Kroger Trio. (And with the "construction" motive, you can wear jeans!) Information on the fundraiser is at www.facebook.com/ColoradoConstructionInstitute or blacktie.com. More information on The Colorado Construction Institute is available at the website www.CCIDenver.org, or by calling 303-997-0453. Music on this feature by John Pizzarelli, "Straighten Up and Fly Right," on the CD Dear Mr. Cole, and The Fat Babies, "King Kong Stomp," from the CD 18th and Racine.